Vincent Koch said that the rescheduled Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at Ellis Park on Saturday at 14:00 (SA Time) is a "top-eight shootout" that could dictate the playoff trajectory for both the Hollywoodbets Sharks and the Lions.
Both teams are currently just outside the top eight. The Sharks sit 9th with the Lions in 10th, both trailing 8th-placed Ospreys by a single point. A win for either side will propel them into a playoff position.
“I know the last three results haven’t gone the Lions’ way, but they’re still a very good team. ‘We’re not taking anything away from the Lions.”
“They’re a strong union. If you look at the table at the moment, it’s very tight. These games are going to be massive in terms of where teams finish.”
"They've got unbelievable players, and you can clearly see they're scrumming as a pack together.”
"We know our scrum gives the rest of the team so much energy if you dominate. This weekend is going to be a proper South African derby with scrums and set-pieces."
The Sharks can mathematically secure the South African Shield with a victory, as they currently lead the regional conference with 16 points.
Koch emphasised that these next two away games (Lions followed by Vodacom Bulls) are "massively important" for where the Sharks finish the season. He noted the squad is mentally refreshed after a two-week break following the brutal coastal derbies.
"For us, these two games are massively important for us to climb the log. If we can get two good outcomes these next two weeks, then we'll be in a better spot than we are at the moment."
“Against the Stormers, there were glimpses of us being really good, but also some work-ons. In the last few days, we’ve been working quite a lot on how we can be better and prepping for the big game this weekend.”
"After the Stormers game, we had a two-week break in which we got a few days off. Mentally, I think the players definitely needed a break. Those two games against the Stormers were physically demanding and mentally draining, so the rest and the break time with family were very important to refocus."
A significant factor in the Sharks' recent resurgence has been a fundamental shift in team culture.
"I think we're starting to build a nice culture at the Sharks as well, and the culture at the moment is caring for each other.”
"When Coach JP stepped in, he took all of the pressure away from us and just allowed us to play with freedom. You can clearly see the enjoyment and the freedom the boys are playing with, playing without fear."